Weed destroyer



W. WOOD WEED DESTROYER Feb. 2, 1932.

Filed March 6. 1931 M v 5 mWM a?? gg; ;a 55.5%, 1.: m

Inventor W 'izz'am Woad A llorney Patented Feb. 2, 1932 PATENT; 'OFFIQE WILLIAM: WOOD, OF GLENROCK, WYOMING WEED DESTROYER Application filed March 6,

, The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in weed destroyers and particularly to a device of this character which is adapted for use in destroying dande- 5 lions and other'obnoxious vegetation.

' An important object of theinvention is to provide,fin a manner ashereinafter' set forth, a weed destroyer of the aforementioned character embodying a novel construction and arrangement of parts whereby the application of'heat to the rootsof a weed may be expeditiously accomplished for the purpose of killing said weed, the invention further including electrical meansfor generating the heat.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a weed destroyer of the character described which will be simple in construction, strong, durable, efficient and reliable in use and which may be manufactured at low cost.

'All of the foregoingand still further objectsand advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate correspond ing parts throughout the several views, and wherein v Figure-1 is a view. in side elevation of a weed destroyer constructed in accordance with the present invention. V

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 looking downwardly.

Figure 3 is a view in vertical section taken substantially on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a detail View in elevation of the heating unit removed from the needle. Referring to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the reference numeral 1 designates an elongated needle of circular cross section which has a pointed lower end portion 2. The needle 1 is provided with a longitudinal bore 3 which extends .thereinto from the upper end thereof, said bore 3 terminating in the pointed end portion 2 of the needle, as illustrated to advantage in Figure 3 of the drawings.

A sleeve d of electricity insulating material is disposed longitudinally in the bore 3 of 1931. Serial No. 520,626.

the needle 1, said sleeve 4: being substantially coextensive with the bore and having its lower endclosed and its upper end open and internallythreaded. The electricity insulat- I ing sleeve 4 and the needle 1 are of materials 5 which are a goodconductor of heat.

An elongated, core 5 of circular cross sec-. tion is disposed longitudinally in the sleeve 4: in spaced, concentric relation to said sleeve, the lower end of the core being spaced slighto ly from the closed lower end of the sleeve. The core 5 has formed integrally with its upper end a threaded head 6 which is threadedly engaged in the internally threaded upper end portion of the sleeve 4. The upper end of the head 6 has formed thereon a peripheral flange 7 which is adapted for abutting engagement with the upper ends of the sleeve 4 and the needle 1. The head 6 is further provided with openings for the pas- '1. o sage of the conductor wires 8 and 9 which are electrically connected with a heating coil 10 which is mounted on the core 5.

The upper end portion of the needle 1 is externally threaded and removably mounted thereon is a cap 11 which provides means for clamping the flange 7 against the upper ends of the sleeve 4 and needle 1 in a manner to retain the sleeve and the core 5 in position in bore 3 of the needle. The cap 11 is provided with a centrally disposed opening 12 for the passage of the conductor wires 8 and 9.

Handle supporting rods 13 have their lower end portions threaded into sockets provided therefor in the cap 11 on opposite S5 sides of the opening 12 and rigidly mounted on the upper end portions of the rods 13 is a transverse handle 14. Adjacent the cap 11 each of the rods 13 is bent outwardly and then inwardly in a manner to provide foot 8 receiving projections 15, the purpose of which will be presently set forth. A control switch 16 is mounted on the rods 13 adjacent the handle ld, said control switch being interposed in the conductor wires 8 and 9 for controlling the flow of electric current to the coil 10 from a suitable source of supply.

In use, the switch 16 is turned to circuit closing position and this permits electric current to flow through the coil 10 in a manner to seat said coil, as will be obvious. When the needle 1 has been heated sufficiently, the operator holds the instrument in a vertical position andthen forces the needle into the weed to be destroyed in a manner to contact with the roots thereof or to be disposed immediately adjacent the roots and permit the instrument to remainin this position for a length of time suiiicient to kill the roots after which the instrument is withdrawn from the ground. The-operation of driving the needle into the ground is facilitated by the operator applying pressure thereto with one-foot on either of the projections in addition to the pressure exerted by the hands of the oper- V ator on the'handle 14.7 It will be noted that the control switch 16 is Within convenient reach-of the operatorfrom the handle 14.

[It is believed that the many advantages of a weed destroyer constructed in accordance with this invention will be readily understood, and although the preferred-embodiment of the invention is as illustrated anddescribed, it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction may be had which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed. 7 i y What is claimed is r 1. A weed destroyerlof'the character described comprising a needle adapted to be driven into the ground and having a bore ex tending thereinto from one end thereof, an electricity insulating sleeve mounted in the bore, said sleeve and the needle being of conducting material, a core mounted in the sleeve, an electric heatingcoil mounted on thecore, a pair of spaced, parallel rods connected, at oneend,'to the needle at said one end of said needle, a handle mounted on the other ends of the rods and conductor wires electrically connecting the heating coil to a source of electric current supply.

2- A weed destroyer ofthe character described comprising a needle adapted to be driven into the groundand havinga bore extending thereinto from one end thereof, an electricity insulating sleeve mounted in the bore, said sleeve and the needle being ofconducting material, a core mounted in the sleeve,,an electric heating coil mounted on c the core, a pair of spaced, parallel rodsconnected, at one end, to the needle at said one end of said needle, a handle mounted on the other ends of the rods and conductor Wires electrically connecting the heating coil to a source "of electric current supply, the rods having portions thereof adjacent the needle bent outwardly and then inwardly in a manner to provide oppositely extending projections for receiving the fOOl) of an operator for driving the needle into the ground.

3. A Weed destroyer of the character described comprising a needle adapted to be driven-in the ground and having a bore extending thereinto from one end'the'reoi, an

electricity insulating sleeve mounted in the bore, said sleeve and the needle being of conducting material, a core mounted in the sleeve, an electric heating coil mounted on the core, a pair of spaced, parallel rods connected, at one end, to the needle at said one end of said needle, a handle mounted on theother ends of'the'rods and conductor wires electrically connecting the heating coil to a source of electric current supply, the rods having .portions thereof adjacent the needle bent the bore, said sleeve being opened at its outer end and closed at its inner end,'-said outer end of the sleeve being internally threaded, an elongated core disposed in the sleeve in spaced, concentric relation thereto,

and a head formed integrally onthe core and threadedly engaged'in the open end portion ofthe sleeve, a flange on the head engageable with'the adjacent ends of the sleeve and the needle, said head being provided with a pair of passages, an electric heating coil mounted on the core within the sleeve,

said sleeve and needle being of heat conducting material, electricity conductor wireselectrically connected with the heating coil, said conductor wires extending'through the passages in the head, and a cap threaded on the needle and engaged with the flange in a mannor to retain the sleeve'a'nd core in position in the needle. i

5. A weed destroyer of the character described comprising an'elongated needle open at one end having a" bore extending longitudinally thereinto from the open end thereof and terminatingin the pointedportion oi said needle, an electricity insulating sleeve mounted longitudinally in I the bore, said sleeve being opend at its outer end and closed at its inner end, said outer end of the sleeve being internally threaded, an elongated core disposed in the sleeve in spaced, concentric relation thereto, and a head formed integrally on the core and threadedly engaged in the open endportion of the sleeve, a flange on the head engageable' with the adjacent ends ofthe sleeve and the needle, said head being provided with a paircof passages, an

electrlc heating coil mounted on the core being of heat conducting material, electricity conductor wires electrically connected with the heating coil, said conductor wires extending through the passages in the head, and a cap threaded on the needle and engaged with the flange in a manner to retain the sleeve and core in position in the needle, said cap being provided with a centrally disposed opening for the passage of the conductor wires, a pair of spaced, parallel rods connected with the cap and extending upwardly therefrom, a handle mounted on the upper end portions of the rods, an electric switch mounted between the rods adjacent the handle and interposed in the conductor wires, and projections on the rods adjacent the needle for receiving the foot of an operator.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM WOOD. 

